Preview — Shadowspell
by Jenna Black

On top of spending most of her time in a bunker-like safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking have long been the nightmare of theOn top of spending most of her time in a bunker-like safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking have long been the nightmare of the Fae realm.

A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her—and her rare Faeriewalker powers—dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?...more

Ok, so let me start by saying this series to me is a bit strange. And because of that, you often have to just accept what Jenna Black tells you about this world, no matter how weird or odd it is. Kinda like how Stephenie Meyer told us all to accept the fact that Bella did not want to marry Edward, but she still was willing to give up immortality and be with him forever. Makes zero sense, right? But you, the reader, are just supposed to accept it, otherwise, stop reading.

On to the review:

We findOk, so let me start by saying this series to me is a bit strange. And because of that, you often have to just accept what Jenna Black tells you about this world, no matter how weird or odd it is. Kinda like how Stephenie Meyer told us all to accept the fact that Bella did not want to marry Edward, but she still was willing to give up immortality and be with him forever. Makes zero sense, right? But you, the reader, are just supposed to accept it, otherwise, stop reading.

On to the review:

We find Dana, our protagonist, still on lockdown from her Fey dad in Avalon. She apparently is not talking to Ethan, yet the book begins with her on a date with him at the movies, no less! So I'm thinking, "Why is she even talking to this scrub?! After everything he did to her in Glimmerglass." I quickly realized this was a "just accept it" moment. So, throughout the book, in which Dana does a number of reckless things, almost every guy she encounters is "so hot, with long hair." She is forever getting lost in every males eyes. It's quite annoying. It seems, that is the only way Dana knows how to describe anyone in the book. Either that or Jenna Black considers her readers vain. Dana also has almost zero sense of self-preservation. In ShawdowSpell the Wild Hunt comes into town lead by the Erlking. Now let's pause and look talk about him a minute. For some odd reason I seem get a picture of Fabio Lanzoni every time I think of this dude.

Yup, that's my Erlking

Now her dad tells her that because the Erlking is present in Avalon, it is a huge security problem for her considering even the Queens of Fairy fear him. Yet, what does Dana do? She sneaks out to go to a birthday party! Now I know everyone has different priorities, those of which may differ greatly from mine. Different strokes for different folks. But c'mon! A birthday party is worth risking your life?! Once again, "just accept it." YE BE WARNED: HERE THERE BE SERIOUS SPOILERS So when Ethan is taken by the Erlking and Dana bargains her virginity for his release, I was blown. Ummm, what?! Really, Jenna?! Please don't tell me this is going to be a series revolving around sex. So, Dana agrees and just promises herself she will never do it. So let me guess, the next books plot : To do it or not to do it? Wait, wait, wait. Let's back up for a minute and pause. Why did she even agree to that? I thought she didn't even like Ethan? "Just accept it." This deal went from bad to worse, because of course the Fey have the wonderful gift of lying by omission. I guess Dana didn't think it necessary to find out all the terms of the deal before she agreed. "Just accept it." At this point, it's getting harder and harder to "just accept it." By the end of the book Dana finds herself between a rock and a hard place. She has decided she does like Ethan after all and does what him as her boyfriend. However, since Ethan is such a playboy, Dana wonders how she could ever keep him, knowing she can not have sex with him, unless she gives herself to the Erlking first. And of course, giving the Erlking what he wants endangers the entire world, Fey and mortals. So yup, you guessed it, the fate of the world resides on the chastity of a teenage girl. O.O Wow. That is a pretty big pill to swallow.

Fear not young padawans! I did somehow find something I liked about the book. Jenna Black does write entertaining, witty dialog. I'll give her that. It was pretty funny at times. But all in all, if I had to describe Shadowspell in a few sentences I would say: it's like a train wreck I can't turn my head away from.

It's not the prettiest thing to watch, but I can't help but to keep looking because I wanna know what happens next. With that said, I will probably read the next book in the series. I know, I know. It makes no sense. You're right. But, "just accept it."

This entire series is too weird for me: there's some sort of sexual dynamic going on that completely freaks me out. Dana's constantly fixated on the closest breathing male (and possibly non-breathing, she's not been alone with a corpse yet). The men in these books control her every move, whether they're family or friends or enemies. Go ahead and take a look at the examples of female characters here: an insane/hysterical aunt, two unseen but homicidal queens, the obligatory best friend (solely foThis entire series is too weird for me: there's some sort of sexual dynamic going on that completely freaks me out. Dana's constantly fixated on the closest breathing male (and possibly non-breathing, she's not been alone with a corpse yet). The men in these books control her every move, whether they're family or friends or enemies. Go ahead and take a look at the examples of female characters here: an insane/hysterical aunt, two unseen but homicidal queens, the obligatory best friend (solely for drinking, discussing boys and going to salons, obviously), and mother with absolutely no authority (who is ALSO being held against her will by a guy). Seriously. What the fuck?

If this is supposed to be some meta commentary on the importance of a father in a young girl's life, then... oh who am I kidding, it's not. And the sexual violence element ramps up in this installment as well, so that's special. Actually, that bit pisses me off enough to get a bit spoilery, so you've been warned:

...

So, we'll just glide right by the big bad guy suggesting Dana parole her non-boyfriend with her virginity, because I do not want to deal with that particular bodice-ripper trope. That is gross, and likely statutory rape if it happens anytime soon. But only a few pages later, we get this: in order to violate the parole agreement, Dana's aunt arranges for a linebacker to rape her in a tunnel as the aunt watches. This attempt unfolds across multiple pages, as Dana is being pinned to the wall and this leering total stranger is groping her, and her aunt comments insanely/pithily. The scene is very specific that this guy is unbuttoning her jeans, pulling down the zipper, and yanking them off her - you know, while he's also hitting her and grinning, because her aunt didn't just hire a guy to rape her, she hired a guy who would "enjoy it".

I'm a bit speechless here. Much like the rest of the book, there's no feeling here at all. It's an event that might as well read "[insert horrible event!]", because it's just there for shock value - it's a plot device crudely used . Manly men suddenly appear and stop the almost-rape, Dana appears to be unaffected, the evil aunt and rapist are summarily killed, all is... well? Because Dana is written as nothing but a cipher, of course she doesn't have any lasting reaction to being sexually assaulted - if it has nothing to do with boys or popularity, then apparently she isn't going to worry about it. There is no chat with her sole female friend or her mother (who lives in the same damn house, by the way), because apparently in this series a teenage girl would go through that very public experience and breeze right by it. In fact, what she seems most worried about is that the parolee guy who witnessed her almost-rape is now going to reject her because she can't have sex with him.

This is what you're getting into if you read this series. It's utter nonsense, and it's insulting....more

I am annoyed and really disappointed. Certain things happened in the plot that made me MAD like (view spoiler)[Ethan being a douche half the times and saying he can't help but notice other sexy girls to Dana. And Dana making a deal with The Erkling to give him her virginity and exchange for Ethan who is not worth it (and also Connor). And if she does he will strip all her powers and she will be a shell of herself. So now her and Ethan are going to try to be together without having sex ever. AndI am annoyed and really disappointed. Certain things happened in the plot that made me MAD like (view spoiler)[Ethan being a douche half the times and saying he can't help but notice other sexy girls to Dana. And Dana making a deal with The Erkling to give him her virginity and exchange for Ethan who is not worth it (and also Connor). And if she does he will strip all her powers and she will be a shell of herself. So now her and Ethan are going to try to be together without having sex ever. And that will be hard since Ethan is a hornbag etc etc etc. (hide spoiler)]. Also because men with really long hair flowing down their back are considered sexy. The thing I liked about this book was Dana except for her taste in guys.

I ended up skimming the rest of the book otherwise I would have thrown it across the room. All I have to say is CRAP and wonder why I feel this way after I loved the first book. Did my taste change or did this series just go down the toilet?

I have a love-hate relationship with Jenna Black's books. I've read the entirety of her Morgan Kingsley series and I was left feeling frustrated and angry. I chose to give her a second chance though, and I started reading this teen series of hers. I ... actually like it. If you look at the reviews you'll see the evidence of this love-hate relationship that Black garners, but at least in this case, I don't hate this series. In fact, I'm enjoying it.

Dana is dealing with the aftermath of her actionI have a love-hate relationship with Jenna Black's books. I've read the entirety of her Morgan Kingsley series and I was left feeling frustrated and angry. I chose to give her a second chance though, and I started reading this teen series of hers. I ... actually like it. If you look at the reviews you'll see the evidence of this love-hate relationship that Black garners, but at least in this case, I don't hate this series. In fact, I'm enjoying it.

Dana is dealing with the aftermath of her actions of the previous book. People want to kill her, she's unsure of who's really on her side, and she's struggling with making the right choices.

She makes some stupid mistakes and doesn't ask enough questions, but it doesn't get to the point where it makes me think she's absolutely too stupid to live. She's a teen, she recognizes her mistakes and she doesn't act like a brat too much of the time. I normally get sick of the whole, "I'm gonna do what I want no matter how much danger it puts me in!" trope, but for the most part, when Dana does something stupid, she owns up to it. Yes, she didn't ask enough questions when dealing with the Erlking, but she at least acknowledged that she probably didn't have all of the answers, but dealing with the time constraints she did what she thought she had to do.

Maybe some people don't like sex in their teen series, but it's not something that would ever bother me. Granted, there is actually no sex in this book, but there is a lot of naughtiness. I think teens deal a lot with when and who to have sex with, and I'm glad that this series doesn't gloss over the fact that a lot of teens do in fact, have sex. Oh, the horror! You mean to tell me that senior year of high school isn't just a lot of hand holding and gazing longingly at each other? I applaud Black for not making her characters "shiver" in each other's presences.

I also like that her mom's alcoholism isn't forgotten. Her mom's disease is something that Dana is constantly battling; it's a very human problem within this Fae world. This added a bit of realism that I think most teen paranormal books are lacking.

Now, the Erlking. He's so ... HOT. Manipulative, yes, but not sleazy at all - to me, at least. He's old, powerful, and knows how to use people to get what he wants. He wants something from Dana, and he maneuvers a series of events in a way that is just downright SMOOTH. I applaud him for how he works things to his advantage, and yes, even at the main character's expense. I don't find his actions disgusting or deplorable, and I actually think he cares about Dana more than most of the other characters. I felt more chemistry between him and her than any of the other teen boys, and I definitely look forward to what will happen in the next book between them.

This is the type of book that takes me 3-4 hours TOPS to read. I almost want to say it gets extra points for being a quick read, but to be honest, it's really the subject matter that makes me read so fast. It's interesting! It's the type of book you can't wait to flip the pages to see what happens next.

I'm definitely excited to see what happens; I like the characters, I enjoy the world she's created and I'm invested in this series. I applaud Black for not sugarcoating the teenage years, and also not making her characters a bunch of dumbasses who don't learn from their mistakes. I look forward to the next book in this series, and I've even preordered her next adult book, Dark Descendant, because she's made me like her all over again....more

If you haven’t read book 1 and are planning on doing so sometime, I’d strongly suggest you don’t read any further.

So, why did it remind me of HON?

Because Dana seems to be suffering from the Zoey-Redbird-Syndrome. I mean, love triangles are one thing, if they are well done I can even enjoy them but more than two love interests? Ugh, that’s pretty much a no-go foRating clarification: 2.5 stars

This book reminded me of two other books.

1. House of Night2. Evermore

Which is a really, really bad thing.

If you haven’t read book 1 and are planning on doing so sometime, I’d strongly suggest you don’t read any further.

So, why did it remind me of HON?

Because Dana seems to be suffering from the Zoey-Redbird-Syndrome. I mean, love triangles are one thing, if they are well done I can even enjoy them but more than two love interests? Ugh, that’s pretty much a no-go for me. As soon as there are more than 2 guys involved, I tend to get pretty annoyed with the "object of desire" for being so indecisive and in my eyes, well, slutty. You might argue now that the Erlking doesn’t really count as a love interest and you’re probably right and I’m just overreacting but I’m afraid that he just isn’t one of the love interests for now. I really, really hope that I’m wrong and that it won’t go the same way as it did in the HON series, meaning that Dana will feel this irresistible pull towards the Erlking because he is this oh-so hot immortal creature and his long black hair is flowing down is back so nicely (gag) and even though she knows that he’s one of the bad guys she just can’t resist him and yada yada yada. If it comes to this, I will be seriously pissed.

Why did it remind me of Evermore?

Well, because of the whole not-being-able-to-have-sex-thing. I’m afraid that Black is going to force us through book after book of abstinence and everything will be about how Ethan and Dana can NOT have sex. While I do like Ethan, I really don’t think that he’ll be able to keep this up, so he will eventually cheat on Dana in some way. In my opinion, Dana’s bound to get her heart broken.Again, I might be overreacting and believe me, I really hope I am.

While I loved Dana in book 1 I almost couldn’t stand her in this one. A lot of her actions were completely incomprehensible to me. I couldn’t understand why she got so mad at Ethan, for example. I thought it was a little weird that she was "only" mad at him when he put some kind of roofie spell on her and tried seducing her in the first book, as well as faking an ambush so that he could play hero, and now, in book 2, where he’s "only" dirty dancing with another girl she goes completely ballistic. Um, I don’t know but I thought the roofie thing was worse and would have deserved this kind of reaction.

So, is there anything I liked? Well, yes. The book managed to keep me entertained, so that’s a plus and Black is one of those authors who’s able to create a sizzling and hawt (pretty hawt for YA) atmosphere. Call me a perv, but I liked that. Furthermore, Dana did some decent things towards the end which made me like her a little better and even though Ethan has his flaws, I am quite fond of him and believe that he’s a good guy deep down.

I will definitely read book 3 but I must say that I’m kind of dreading it. I hope my fears won’t get confirmed. ...more

Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex! Did I get your attention? It is a pretty powerful attention grabber right? Sooooo let's just say "sex" was a bargining tool, or a way to grab someone's power, it would make a book pretty damn interesting, right? Now, don't worry, I'm not giving away any spoilers. YOu don't know who is giving what or why. Now, what the hell was my point about all this sex (or lack thereof)? Oh yes, sex becomes like a magic wand (no giggles from the peanut gallery) in this book.Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex! Did I get your attention? It is a pretty powerful attention grabber right? Sooooo let's just say "sex" was a bargining tool, or a way to grab someone's power, it would make a book pretty damn interesting, right? Now, don't worry, I'm not giving away any spoilers. YOu don't know who is giving what or why. Now, what the hell was my point about all this sex (or lack thereof)? Oh yes, sex becomes like a magic wand (no giggles from the peanut gallery) in this book. I didn't like the way it was used. It seemed like a cheap trick AND if you are going to use it, don't use it in the way it was done. If the girl is going to have sex, have sex. Enough said. Don't let the act of sex be the topic of conversation for like a million books to come. jeez.

Oh and Dana, you didn't question the Erlking's motives when making a particular bargin. Really stupid move. I dislike stupid main characters....more

Okay, I'm going to give up reading this. I don't want to persevere. I have no patience and little enough time as it is. This books is not fun and light-hearted like its predecessor. It's ten times as annoying and unbearable. Everything that I disliked in the first book is amped up a thousand fold.

First of all, what is wrong with this Dana girl?! Why does she have to get a female hard on every time she meets a young hot faerie!? Like seriously! If I have to hear how hot, sexy, or whatever anotherOkay, I'm going to give up reading this. I don't want to persevere. I have no patience and little enough time as it is. This books is not fun and light-hearted like its predecessor. It's ten times as annoying and unbearable. Everything that I disliked in the first book is amped up a thousand fold.

First of all, what is wrong with this Dana girl?! Why does she have to get a female hard on every time she meets a young hot faerie!? Like seriously! If I have to hear how hot, sexy, or whatever another male character is, I might just slap a mofo in the face! And what is with her dramatics? She keeps saying "no, we can't date!" to the guy, Ethan, but is totally okay with him feeling her up? Even though she somehow thinks she feels a bit uncomfortable with it? WHAT?

And then gets into some major hissy fit when he's all getting his wank on with some hot chick at a club for her friend's birthday party? Well, why can't he? Obviously you're being an unclear tease and, hey, why would you want to be with some loose balled man if he can't keep his dick in his pants for you?! Wtf? I'd stay far clear from that dude!

Excuse me! And then, is it just me, but are ALL the men trying to control her life or have dominant power over her in some way? WHAT? And then I got to that scene where the Erlking is all trying to undress her with his eyes and she felt naked and blah, blah, blah. That did it for me. I am not taking anymore of this shit. Which then reminds me of the beginning when she was getting all felt up in the movie theater and something akin to "I am so turned on right now, it's a miracle I wasn't tearing off my clothes at this instant!" or some crap like that.

Dana Hathaway doesn't have your typical teenage problems, see both Queens of the Seelie and Unseelie courts want her dead, but a new threat arrives in Avalon. Murderous men who are called The Wild Hunt and there leader Erlking has his eyes on Dana. He wants her Faeriewalker powers since she as the ability to travel from Faerie to the mortal world and also being able to bring magic into the world and technology into Faerie. But it's not just her powers he wants, he's also after somethin(4.5stars)

Dana Hathaway doesn't have your typical teenage problems, see both Queens of the Seelie and Unseelie courts want her dead, but a new threat arrives in Avalon. Murderous men who are called The Wild Hunt and there leader Erlking has his eyes on Dana. He wants her Faeriewalker powers since she as the ability to travel from Faerie to the mortal world and also being able to bring magic into the world and technology into Faerie. But it's not just her powers he wants, he's also after something more, valuable...

Shadowspell is another exciting edition in the Faeriewalker series, and I'm so glad to see the plot has thicken up some. This is more intense, more gripping and also a lot more fun!

While I liked Dana fine in the first book, there were a few qualities that bugged me in this one. The girl clearly doesn't know what she wants. She say's one thing but means another and then throws out insults when she doesn't get her way.She is also reckless and puts herself in impossible situations, then gets pissed when others tries to help her. She's not quite cut out to defend herself but it doesn't stop her from trying, some would call this bravery, but I call it irresponsible.However, what she did for Ethan redeemed a lot of these that bothered me and I'm hoping that we'll see some growth in upcoming books.

My heart went out to Ethan in this one. He's tried and tried to be the hero in Dana's eyes but either comes out looking like a sleaze or someone who isn't capable when the time arises. I was actually upset that Dana was so mad about Ethan 'dirty' dancing at the party. It just didn't feel fair since she told him they were only to be friends and really, all he did was dance with a girl, I've seen way worse in Fae books, so to me, Ethan isn't doing anything I wouldn't expect. He is who he is. He's never tried to hide that part of himself and the sooner she excepts him for who is he, the quicker she'll be able to really see him. He's a flawed character, yes, but he has a good heart and has always tried, so that really counts in my book.

Now, what do I say about the Erlking? He's a very complex character, dominating and very...blunt. He doesn't hide whatsoever what he is and what he wants. I mean he just comes in and demands (view spoiler)[that he wants to be taken into the mortal world so he can hunt, like the hunter he is born to be, and thinks Dana will just roll over and do it. When she doesn't then he finds a new way to get to her by capturing Ethan and asking for her virginity as the price (hide spoiler)]. Now that's evil, but at the same time I love that twist. Fae and sex seems to go hand in hand in these books, something that I've learned to expect and accept so I wasn't all that surprised. I'm looking forward to seeing how Dana will get out of this particular jam, which is hard considering the Erlking is charming and when needed, not all that bad, OR, he's just a really good deceiver. Only time will tell.

Bottom line, I still adore this series, it's has such a great plot-line with a lot of very intriguing and entertaining characters. I'm looking forward to seeing how this will all play out in Sirensong and see just how in the hell Ethan and Dana will make that work;)

2.5 StarsI might read Sirensong just to see what happens next, but I'm not in any hurry. I usually don't mind when the main character (in YA, especially) does something stupid or juvenile. After all, if the characters never made any mistakes, then there probably wouldn't be much of a plot. It makes sense if they are tricked by someone older or more clever than they are into doing something that goes against their best interest. However, the heroine of this series, Dana, seems to border on retard2.5 StarsI might read Sirensong just to see what happens next, but I'm not in any hurry. I usually don't mind when the main character (in YA, especially) does something stupid or juvenile. After all, if the characters never made any mistakes, then there probably wouldn't be much of a plot. It makes sense if they are tricked by someone older or more clever than they are into doing something that goes against their best interest. However, the heroine of this series, Dana, seems to border on retarded when it comes to having any sort of self-preservation. I mean, even the most vapid teenager would understand that if the scariest killer in the world was out to get you, it wouldn't be worth it to ditch your bodyguard and head out to your BFF's birthday party. Am I wrong? The fact that the entire plot revolves around her being an idiot, doesn't make me a happy reader.There's also the deal she strikes with Erikling, which teeters on the edge of disturbing. (view spoiler)[ She had to promise him her virginity? Seriously? (hide spoiler)]Then there's her weird relationship with Ethan. He's an ass. He has zero to recommend him as a potential love interest, and yet...she can't resist him. What?! I'm annoyed that I spent an afternoon reading this. ...more

I really liked this second installment in the Faeriewalker series, and sequel to Glimmerglass. Jenna Black continues to deliver a great story that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could.

Dana is an endearing protagonist. I absolutely adore her inner dialogue. I love how she doesn't always take herself too seriously. I know many frown on the proverbial "I'm not that pretty... so why is he interested in me" character flaw... but it works with Dana. She's got major trust issues... stemming fI really liked this second installment in the Faeriewalker series, and sequel to Glimmerglass. Jenna Black continues to deliver a great story that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could.

Dana is an endearing protagonist. I absolutely adore her inner dialogue. I love how she doesn't always take herself too seriously. I know many frown on the proverbial "I'm not that pretty... so why is he interested in me" character flaw... but it works with Dana. She's got major trust issues... stemming from the fact that she has never been able to count on anyone but herself pretty much all her life. Her mother is an alcoholic in denial. She has grown up taking care of her mother--paying the bills and making sure there is food in the house... so when it comes to having to rely on someone else to take care of her, as much as she craves it, she takes matters into her own hands... and not always with the outcome she hopes for... and that's going to happen when you're an inexperienced 16 year old thrown into very adult situations. As much as she's mature in many ways, she is still immature in others where she lacks experience. But she is true to herself, and that you have to admire.

If I had to pick a real flaw with Dana, it's that she sometimes doesn't take her predicaments all too seriously either. But I remind myself that she is a 16 year old thrust into some pretty scarey and intimidating situations, and in that light, I can understand her poor decisions sometimes.

Dana's troubles did not end at the end of Glimmerglass... if anything, they've intensified as she learns that she possesses more powers than she was thought to have in Glimmerglass... and the list of powerful fae after her is growing.... including the Erlking and his Wild Hunt. His designs on Dana are conflicting... it seems he truly likes her and respects her, but not more than what he wants from her, and he's very upfront about it (when it's necessary). There was something that would almost make you feel creepy about his intentions towards her... but the fae are different "people" for lack of a better term... so keeping that in mind is necessary to avoid the "creep" factor.

The romance is turned up quite a bit in Shadowspell. We get to know Ethan a little bit better and we find out there is a lot to like. We're slowly getting through the layers of his playboy-image. However, Dana still has major trust issues where he is concerned. Because he betrayed her trust before, and she has obvious issues with trusting others in general, Dana is always wrestling with the feeling she's being played by Ethan versus her obvious and intense attraction to him. Although... Ethan is in new territory himself. As much as he is perhaps more experienced in the intimacy department, the girls he has dated before did not affect him like Dana affects him... and she brings out the best in him. They both have some growing up to do... individually, and together as maybe a couple. But the tension between them is palpable... and quite sexy. For instance, Shadowspell starts off with a bang in the romance department...let's just say that I will never look at salty-movie-theatre-buttered-popcorn again without thinking of that scene...lol!

I have to admit that I hoped for a bit more Keane in this installment... we do learn a bit more about him and what makes him tick... but I was left wanting more. His *tough love* approach to Dana is starting to clue her into how he might really feel about her. As much as I'm Team Ethan... I can't fully commit to Keane until we get more of him.

All the while, while Dana is trying to defend herself and those she loves against the bad guys, Dana is slowly getting used to the idea of having two REAL parents in her life, although because she has been used to making her own decisions, she doesn't take their authority very well. Granted, I don't think I could live secluded like they wish her to (for her own safety)... so in that light, I can't say I blame her with the decisions she makes. I liked that Dana's father Seamus is acting a bit more *fatherly* in this installment. And I was proud of Dana with how she handled her mother's problem.

Some of our favourites from Glimmerglass, Finn and Lachlan, are back too... as well as a terrible enemy. Let's just say that this enemy may be MORE dangerous than the Erlking and his Wild Hunt.

Unlikely allies and surprising twists kept this story interesting and moving at a good pace throughout. Some mature content would have me discourage younger teens from reading this... but older teens, I'm sure, would be fine. We are still left wondering about some of the same things... WHO can Dana really trust, and how is she even going to survive her situation without losing herself, or her life. I guess we'll see in Sirensong this summer! I can't wait!!...more

I don't know if it's hindsight being 20/20, but I'm pretty sure I was never that stupid when I was a teenager. Sure, I was never a fairywalker as a teenager, but I like to think that if I were, I wouldn't have done anything so outrageously stupid as to make a deal with an immortal being involving giving up my virginity. I have an ancient fae father who can't possibly know what I'm going through. I mean, sure, he lost a son to the Erlking, but I LOST THE GUY I'M CRUSHING ON. WAH!

And then slut-shaI don't know if it's hindsight being 20/20, but I'm pretty sure I was never that stupid when I was a teenager. Sure, I was never a fairywalker as a teenager, but I like to think that if I were, I wouldn't have done anything so outrageously stupid as to make a deal with an immortal being involving giving up my virginity. I have an ancient fae father who can't possibly know what I'm going through. I mean, sure, he lost a son to the Erlking, but I LOST THE GUY I'M CRUSHING ON. WAH!

And then slut-shaming myself for it. My god, there is so much slut-shaming in this book. The girl who dances with Dana's love interest like she was on a stripper pole? SLUT. Oh, my, I'm getting hot and heavy with the guy I find attractive, but I don't intend to sleep with him? OH MY GOD I AM SUCH A SLUT FOR FEELING LIKE THIS. OH MY GOD I AM SUCH A COCKTEASE!!!! Not cool. As far as my own morality goes, I don't feel sex is something to be shared rampantly, but neither should it be a source of shame and embarrassment, and god forbid I should hate myself for being a tease. Ugh....more

Well, let's face it. We have gorgeous handsome sexy alluring Fae. So what's the problem? The problem is a very naive prude main character. Her life wasn't easy and it can't be easy with all the pressure on her. But she still hates her father for protecting her. Still thinks she can do better than a few thousand years old fae when it comes to protection against a few thousand years old evil. Like Keane said, Dana is quite the drama queen. I understand her reaction about her mother, but my understWell, let's face it. We have gorgeous handsome sexy alluring Fae. So what's the problem? The problem is a very naive prude main character. Her life wasn't easy and it can't be easy with all the pressure on her. But she still hates her father for protecting her. Still thinks she can do better than a few thousand years old fae when it comes to protection against a few thousand years old evil. Like Keane said, Dana is quite the drama queen. I understand her reaction about her mother, but my understanding stops there. And come on! Did you have to twist the whole story and the Erkling, too, just to end up justifying how important is for her to remain saint/pure/virgin/prude/innocent whateve'? I didn't expect to read a Jeanne d'Arc story so please. Why are authors nowadays trying so HARD to make me believe that their main character hates sex but only with her chosen one she doesn't? And while doing that, you make the guy a reputable Casanova. Some balance you have there....more

With this latest entry into the world of the Faeriewalker series, I can say Black is making a solid come back from the slightly disappointing 3/5 rating I gave her. Her YA books are such a treat because there are some teen issues to deal with, but it’s not all about saving the world and then finding a date for prom. That’s way I’ve been practically bouncing for joy for this series to continue. The plot has the depth that most adult Urban Fantasy books have, whichGenre: Urban Fantasy YA

Thoughts:

With this latest entry into the world of the Faeriewalker series, I can say Black is making a solid come back from the slightly disappointing 3/5 rating I gave her. Her YA books are such a treat because there are some teen issues to deal with, but it’s not all about saving the world and then finding a date for prom. That’s way I’ve been practically bouncing for joy for this series to continue. The plot has the depth that most adult Urban Fantasy books have, which I greatly appreciate. Lately too many YA books have been coming off too shallow for my tastes. Of course, that’s not saying there aren’t a few things that I still don’t like.

Black not only takes the “Return of the Evil Aunt” plot line to its own playing field she introduces a new evil, the Erlking. Let me take the words from the back of the book, “The smoldering, sexy Erlking.” There’s clearly a lot of potential with him, he makes even the Queens of both faerie courts quiver in fear. Black makes sure that the reader understands that the Erlking is in the category of dangerous evil. The Erlking likes to hunt people and chop their heads off, and he wants full rein to do so on the human population. This being one of Black’s books there is still more hidden depth to the Erlking. Events in the book leave you thinking there might be a good side to our bad guy, but then you have to second guess yourself after he barters for Dana’s virginity. Just like Dana you’re going to find your head spinning over our latest yummy man.

Speaking of yummy men, let us go back to our boys Ethan and Keane. Certain plot twists leave your guts quivering in worry for Ethan, but I still can’t find Ethan redeemable. The magic date rape and manipulations from the first book have not been forgotten. Even Dana tries to convince herself that Ethan is bad news for her, it’s too bad that those darn teenage hormones just seem to scream louder. Still I have faith that Black will give us a little more character development for Ethan in the next book, though I doubt I’ll ever approve of him for Dana.

The progress with Keane is nice. He gets more page time then the last book, leading to a nice buildup of emotions between him and Dana. Slowly other sides of Keane are clicking in place, adding a bit of meat to our rebellious bad boy. This was definitely a good book for his character to grow and I still want more! My only complaint is that Dana controls her emotions around him and can say no. He might have a bit of a bad mouth and temper, but he’s still clearly a nice guy. Apparently his mean demeanor is too hard for her to overlook, but Ethan’s magic date rape is only a small thing to overcome.

While Dana’s poor choice in men may irk me, she’s still the same capable girl I’ve grown to like. Dana handles things much better than adults—of course she still has her adolescent moments. Like sneaking out for a party with poor protection when assassins are lurking everywhere. That’s the fun of her character, even though she’s had to take care of herself for most of her life she still has a few teenage moments. Dana also gets the pleasure of knowing what a true friend is after being friendless for so long, it’s really touching. Also the maturity of Dana’s view towards her mom and alcoholism has changed rapidly. Black hits the denial of alcohol on the nose.

Bottom Line: This is a series for readers who are sick and tired of the YA angst fluff that seems to be coloring the genre. Prepare for a unique world and a worthy plot to go with it. Dana is one of the more likeable characters in the genre and you shouldn’t pass her up. Plus, you can indulge your fan girl side with all of the hotties available here. The Faeriewalker series is cemented as one of my favorite YA UF reads, especially YA fairy books.

Sexual Content:

The Erlking is super old and he’s trying to seduce a 16/17 year old, some readers may have a problem with this even if he looks no older than his early 20s. Also contains a pretty graphic "almost" rape scene. For a YA book this is pretty mature.

I read this book right after Glimmerglass which I gave 3 stars to. The more I think about this one the less I like it. Dana just irritated me even more in this book than in the previous one. Right in the beginning she agrees to go to a movie with Ethan, the brother of her friend Kimber who has constantly warned her about him being "a player". The book is in the first person and Dana refers to him as a hottie and as a player what seems like a dozen times throughout the book. By the 6th page of thI read this book right after Glimmerglass which I gave 3 stars to. The more I think about this one the less I like it. Dana just irritated me even more in this book than in the previous one. Right in the beginning she agrees to go to a movie with Ethan, the brother of her friend Kimber who has constantly warned her about him being "a player". The book is in the first person and Dana refers to him as a hottie and as a player what seems like a dozen times throughout the book. By the 6th page of the movie sequence she is thinking, "I was so turned on it was a minor miracle I hadn't started tearing my clothes off in public." Unfortunately she pretty much reacted to each guy she gets close to in the same way. I really did want to like this book, but there is something about the writing that just didn't do it for me. Dana's father, who is an over 2000 year old Fey who for a couple of centuries was the consort of the Faery Queen Titania (which IS very impressive), just comes across like a very important businessman and not much more. The really unrealistic one for me was the Erlking. He is more powerful than any Faery and has lived longer than anyone in existence. He is the leader of the Wild Hunt and cares only about one thing and that is hunting and killing both mortals and fey alike. He describes himself as a true predator and has no remorse or regard for life. He wants more than anything to use Dana's abilities as a Faerywalker to take him and his hunt into the mortal world on a killing spree - on many killing sprees. But what got to me is that he comes across as kind of a ruthless but strong leader with a bit of a sense of humor and some empathy for Dana and her situation. Granted it may all be a ploy, but he just is not convincing of being as evil as a villain with his history would be.

It just didn't work at all for me. I did really like Keane who is the son of Dana's Faery Knight bodyguard, Finn, and he is great too. Beautiful cover on this book. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.Where to begin...

First of all, the Faeriewalker book covers are amazing gorgeous, and eyecatching. I suppose this is a lesson on why you don't judge a book by it's cover. Whereas the cover is beautiful, the actual story is the exact opposite.

The book starts off with the main character, Dana, in a movie theater with Ethan (the faerie hottie. Ack, I hate that word). She keeps repeating how it is not a date, just a friendly hang out. Then why, Dana, are you letting Ethan grope you and feel you up?Where to begin...

First of all, the Faeriewalker book covers are amazing gorgeous, and eyecatching. I suppose this is a lesson on why you don't judge a book by it's cover. Whereas the cover is beautiful, the actual story is the exact opposite.

The book starts off with the main character, Dana, in a movie theater with Ethan (the faerie hottie. Ack, I hate that word). She keeps repeating how it is not a date, just a friendly hang out. Then why, Dana, are you letting Ethan grope you and feel you up? I was already annoyed with her by page 4. Seriously, stop telling me how you wish you could act and freakin' do it!

Not only is she whiney and annoying, she's a slut.

"By the end of the movie, I was so turned on it was a minor miracle I hadn't started tearing my clothes off in public." - Page 6

At that point I was struggling not to burst out laughing in the middle of my math class. Why would Black ever think put something like that in a book? It sounds so unprofessional. For a moment I thought I was reading a preteen fanfic. Does she really think that teenage girls have such little control over themselves?

I guess that's why Dana was so petrified when she sold her virginity to the Elking. Ugh. I'm not even going to bother typing a rant about how dumb that was.

And she's always breathless! Everytime she has a close encounter with anything that has male parts she's breathless. I'm surprised she hasn't died from asphyxiation yet! Being 'unable' to move her hand from Keane's lap, rubbing up against the Elking, and the little theater fiasco with Ethan. If anything we should all be wondering how she's still a virgin to being with.

Then there was this lovely opportunity to make the Elking promise not to kill her when they "seal the deal". What does she do? She blatantly refuses. Not that I have a problem with her dying, but that was just beyond stupid.

Is it just me or does this seem to be like The Immortals series? Oh no the two main characters can't have sex! What else are we to do??? *cue dramatic sigh & exaggerated tears* Sit and talk at some restaurant in some understandable attempt to get to know each other??? Hold hands while taking a refeshing walk around a park??? No, that's crazy talk! The only thing being a couple is good for is sex!

The plot was pratically nonexistant. Most of the time you're reading about Dana's and her female accomplice's (I can't even remember her name, how sad.) adventures through Avalon and the consequences of Dana's idoticy. The ending is Dana being a "realist" and accepting the fact that Ethan will ditch her over the no-sex situation, while admitting she's not so much the "realist" she claims to be. The end.

In retrospect I can't understand what I loved about the first book, Glimmerglass. Though, as much as I hate this series (mainly Dana) I will be buying the next book if for nothing else but the gorgeous cover. I guess I'm trapped under their spell after all. *sigh*...more

Sigh. Just once I would like to have a heroine who isn't all "he is so hot, I wonder why he's into me". In any case, if you ignore the first several pages of the book, Shadowspell actually gets off to a fairly decent beginning. Well, only if you ignore the date/not-date thing with Ethan, who I still do not like. Not to mention I thought that pseudo-date was fairly pointless all around and should have been cut. Still, the beginning of the book was somewhat promising, especially with the arrival oSigh. Just once I would like to have a heroine who isn't all "he is so hot, I wonder why he's into me". In any case, if you ignore the first several pages of the book, Shadowspell actually gets off to a fairly decent beginning. Well, only if you ignore the date/not-date thing with Ethan, who I still do not like. Not to mention I thought that pseudo-date was fairly pointless all around and should have been cut. Still, the beginning of the book was somewhat promising, especially with the arrival of the wild hunt.

Let's get this straight. I adore books with the wild hunt (kind of like how I'm a sucker for books with fae in it--now if only the author could make it at least somewhat decent, and I would be all over this series). My love for the subject matter in the book is actually what made me pick up the second book (well, that and I decided to give the series another chance), especially since my review of the first book wasn't exactly glowing.

In any case--moving on--Dana is not as bad as she was in the first book (but only by a little bit). She's still pretty terrible. She's young and irritatingly boy centric. I swear, she thinks things like 'oh, is he jealous?' or variations of how hot some guy is every few pages, and I want to smack her and go "don't you think you have a few more important things to worry about? Like the people who want you dead?". It's grating how her world revolves so much around guys and what they think. I don't mind romance, hell, I like it in my books, but there's points where you have to go enough is enough. Stop thinking with your hormones so much and use your brain a little more, please.

A lot of the messes she gets into are ones of her own making--if she just stopped and thought a little more, if she just used some common sense every once in a while, she wouldn't be having such harrowing adventures all the time (which is good for the book, except for the fact that it makes the reader want to slap some sense into the main character).

I do like Dana's father. He's surprisingly human (well, in a way), and the man does try his best to at least meet his daughter partway. He does have his own agenda and all, but it's understandable and I think he cares more about Dana than what he can use her for. Dana's mother on the other hand... Less said about her the better.

Overall... eh. Pretty much the same as the last book at staying at 2 stars. Dana is so dramatic that it rolls my eyes and even though the wild hunt appeared, it did not interest me nearly enough to get over my dislike at how the plot unfolded and the characters. Would I read the next book? Doubtful, but we'll see. ...more

I was unpleasantly surprised with this book. Dana is still in the exact same place, doing the exact same things, with the same people as she was in the first book. There is the small edition of the Erlking which brings in the plot for this installment but the air of excitement was minimal.

I appreciate the idea of the Erlking and the danger he presents as an antagonist but, for me, it just didn't flow as smoothly as I would've liked and it certainly wasn't as believable. For example, let’s pondeI was unpleasantly surprised with this book. Dana is still in the exact same place, doing the exact same things, with the same people as she was in the first book. There is the small edition of the Erlking which brings in the plot for this installment but the air of excitement was minimal.

I appreciate the idea of the Erlking and the danger he presents as an antagonist but, for me, it just didn't flow as smoothly as I would've liked and it certainly wasn't as believable. For example, let’s ponder for a moment—A larger than life, powerful beyond measure, evil being that can not be killed rides into town and word on the street is he’s out to kill me—a teenaged girl with no real powers of my own. What do I do? Oh, I know. I sneak out of the house at night with some boy to go to a birthday party. Then she makes a long list of huge, life altering mistakes.

Now, this is YA book and there has been a lot of conflict between teens and their parents concerning the teenagers ability to make intelligent decisions. So, here we have a book that clearly defines this teenager as ignorant as she can get. Is this really a statement that needs to be made?

It was also very hard for me to really implant myself into this world because of the redundancy. In quite literally every chapter we are reminded in some form or fashion that Dana's mom is a drunk, she had to raise herself, she doesn’t know her father all that well, she has feelings for Ethan but he’s a player, the fae are inhumanly gorgeous… oh and she hates that they love tea. I do not enjoy being constantly reminded of the same minuscule details.

Again, it wasn't a compelling edition to the series but the turn of events did keep me intrigued just enough to wonder what's going to happen to Dana. I only recommend this book to people who are interested in the series as a whole since I haven't lost faith in Black's abilities to redeem herself in the next installment....more

Shadowspell continues the story started in Glimmerglass and follows Dana as she gets deeper involved with the world of the fae. Her aunt Grace and both Queens want her dead while Ethan seems to be playing games with her. She now lives in a bunker like safe house deep inside the mountain where Finn is defending her full time and his son, Keane, is now giving her more lessons in self defense. Dana can only go out supervised by Finn and another body guard. The Erlking has now discovered Dana and waShadowspell continues the story started in Glimmerglass and follows Dana as she gets deeper involved with the world of the fae. Her aunt Grace and both Queens want her dead while Ethan seems to be playing games with her. She now lives in a bunker like safe house deep inside the mountain where Finn is defending her full time and his son, Keane, is now giving her more lessons in self defense. Dana can only go out supervised by Finn and another body guard. The Erlking has now discovered Dana and wants her for his own, so he captures Ethan and makes him part of his Wild Hunt gang. I can't watch Lady Gaga's video Judas without thinking of this book.

Of course, Dana is manipulated into a bad situation with the Erlking in order to return Ethan from his clutches, but in her headstrong way, Dana thinks she has all the angles of the deal figured out. She doesn't and finds out she might have possibly bargained away her life. I don't think the Erlking is truly evil since he is protected Dana and gives her excellent advice to help her protect herself and make better decisions. So now there is a love quadrangle (?) and there are quite a few developments that keep the plot moving (sorry, I am not going to spoil that for anyone). Now, I just can't wait for the next one in the series, Sirensong, where I hope that Dana develops her newly found powers. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.The twist in this book was amazing! Lose your virginity to the scourge of the fey or lose you boyfriend to the wild hunt.

Discover that your half brother you didn't know about is part of that hunt and that he is the Erlking's last bargaining chip to ensure you deliver on your promise.

Oh and be told by your homicidal aunt while a guy is trying to rape you that if you DO give your virginity away that he will have the power to go into the human world and kill millions of humans and leave you a hollThe twist in this book was amazing! Lose your virginity to the scourge of the fey or lose you boyfriend to the wild hunt.

Discover that your half brother you didn't know about is part of that hunt and that he is the Erlking's last bargaining chip to ensure you deliver on your promise.

Oh and be told by your homicidal aunt while a guy is trying to rape you that if you DO give your virginity away that he will have the power to go into the human world and kill millions of humans and leave you a hollow shell! OMG!

Other than the above Dana's character got a tad bit more annoying for me this book and otherwise the book was uneventful.

Hmm, I liked Glimmerglass better than this...I don't have a lot to say about this one. The Erlking is admittedly interesting (manipulative!) and attractive (<3) and adds a layer to book 2, but otherwise, I felt like not a lot happened. Dana is a little all over the place, and even with her hormones out of whack, she's too wishy washy. Writing this having read all three, I'm glad I persevered to the third book, Sirensong, as the story improved there.

I will admit that I skimmed through some of this book, something I rarely do. I just got tired of the same old plot as a lot of other fairy type books I guess, or maybe I wasn't in the mood to get into it. My main issue with this series is that I don't like Ethan, and so far he's the main love interest. I also thought that Dana did a lot of really spectacularly stupid things. Not sure if I'll bother reading the next one.

There is something really kind of terrifying about this book and its main motif as presented to the reader. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I get creeped out. Creeped out in a way that makes me nervous. Because the main theme of this book, without a doubt, is patriarchy. And NOT in the subversive way, and not in the demonstrative way which might even be slightly relevant to the plot. No, the theme is patriarchy in the form of being obedient, subservient, and dependent. Also, there’sThere is something really kind of terrifying about this book and its main motif as presented to the reader. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I get creeped out. Creeped out in a way that makes me nervous. Because the main theme of this book, without a doubt, is patriarchy. And NOT in the subversive way, and not in the demonstrative way which might even be slightly relevant to the plot. No, the theme is patriarchy in the form of being obedient, subservient, and dependent. Also, there’s this equally creepy emphasis on virginity and a woman’s worth relating to it, but I’ll get to that.

I first noticed this awkward theme of patriarchy around 30 pages in, when I realized that overall, Dana was a fairly weak character. She’s not … capable. She’s what we like to call weak sauce. She simply hangs around, whines about things, and generally gets nothing done. Throughout the entire first half of the book she seems to defer completely to her father, who clearly knows what’s best for her, and as the head of her family, has the right to control her.

She also defers to her “guard” Finn, and to some degree, his son, Keane. The overall dynamic between Dana and men is that she submits to their authority easily and without question because it’s implied that they’re far more capable than her, and far more strong. She accepts that she needs to be coddled and protected and stripped of her autonomy, and simply falls in line with each and every male she encounters.

Even her rebellion is somewhat force and halfhearted. And the moment she’s caught, she offers no resistance, seems to lose her backbone completely, and again, messages of male dominance are enforced to the reader. I think this is a problem large part because there are only a couple of female characters in the book, and none of them seem to be positive forces. The mother character is a drunkard who “needs to be taken care of” by her husband, because only he can keep her from drinking by controlling her actions. And the best friend is a completely flat character who barely had enough personality to fill half a page of writing. She enjoys shopping, and going to the spa, and doing feminine things that reinforce her gender , as it relates to society.

And on the subject of the matter, we need to talk about the UNACCEPTABLE AND REALLY FUCKING CREEPY moment where the mother blatantly tells Dana that she is being kept a prisoner with no empathy, sympathy, or appropriate reaction from her daughter.. She says she isn’t allowed to leave, and make her own choices, because of the father character’s decision that it’s his job to “take care of her”. She tells Dana this, and also tells her that Dana herself could likely help change his mind. But Dana flatly tells her that the father character knows best, and she should just settle in, because she can’t be trusted to make her own choices. She needs to be protected from herself.

Then we get to the worst part of the book, where the Erlking character enters, and things go from creepy to perverse in about three seconds. Because apparently he wants Dana’s virginity. He wants the most important thing she has. This is a PROBLEM. Because a woman is not defined by her virginity. She isn’t more or less moral because of it or the status of it. Virginity is a construct of society placed on a woman to keep her subjugated under a patriarchic society. I’m not trying to get fancy, but virginity is only important because men emphasize that it is. Your virginity is defined by a tiny flap of membrane that can easily be torn or broken in childhood, long before you’re sexually active, by doing sports, or exercising. The idea that it would define a woman’s worth is both laughable and really frightening.

Basically, Dana spends this whole book getting jerked around by men, told what to do by them, controlled by them, manipulated by them, and she lets it happen, because unfortunately, she’s an idiot. I was completely upset the whole book through, really disturbed, and I’m even more freaked out to realize that an educated woman wrote this book. This is a GIANT pass like very few books that have come before it, and seriously, creepy book is creepy. ...more

**Review** 16 year old Dana Hathaway is known as a Faeriewalker. She's a rare individual who can travel freely between the mortal and Faery worlds. She can bring magic to the mortal world, and technology to the faerie world. The Queens of both the Unseelie and Seelie lands have made it a point of wanting to see her dead because she carries so much power within her. He father, Seamus, has her under 24 hour guard, but, that doesn't stop her from constantly causing trouble for herself and others.

Th**Review** 16 year old Dana Hathaway is known as a Faeriewalker. She's a rare individual who can travel freely between the mortal and Faery worlds. She can bring magic to the mortal world, and technology to the faerie world. The Queens of both the Unseelie and Seelie lands have made it a point of wanting to see her dead because she carries so much power within her. He father, Seamus, has her under 24 hour guard, but, that doesn't stop her from constantly causing trouble for herself and others.

This time around Arawn, The Erlking and his Wild Hunt come to Avalon and he has plans for Dana all his own. He wants her powers. He wants to be able to hunt in the Mortal world without restrictions currently placed on him by both Queens.

Ethan, naturally, trying to be all macho, plays right into his hands, and is forced to join the Hunt when he tries to attack Arawn, who, did a feint on purpose so that he would. Confusing? Let's put it this way. Arawn wants Dana. In order for him to have her, he needs to have her come to him willingly, and where else do you find the perfect opportunity than in Ethan? Where else would you find someone who is so gullible and willing to put herself at risk for others?

Shocker of the series: Dana has an older brother named Connor, who was once a Knight in the Seelie Court and who went after Arawn on the orders of the queen of the seelie court. He is now part of the Hunstman. Yet another: Seamus, her father, was once Titania's, the queen of the seelie court, consort. Confused yet? Uh Huh

But, that's not all. Dana then stupidly agrees to give up her virginity to Arawn if he lets Ethan go. She further stipulates that Connor will go as well, but only after she has sex with Arawn. ::shakes head:: (She first tried to have Erkling agreed to accepting a gun to kill the queen, which, of course, he refused.)

Aunt Grace's threat to Dana is realized after she follows Ethan and Dana back to her ultra secret hideout. Ethan is still under Erlkings protection as it were, and he comes to the rescue and beheads Grace. Not before, it seems, Dana's magic finally comes to life and makes her mortal. Of course, the one thing we have to deal with in these books is, Dana is nearly raped by a thug so that she loses not only her virginity, but her powers as well.

*Please, I ask the writers who actually read my reviews, WHY, Oh Why, is it necessary to put a character into a situation where they are raped, or nearly so like in this story? Rape is NOT appealing to me, and I'm sure others as well, no matter how it is written into a storyline. So, please, I beg you all....stop.*

Not so surprising to anyone who reads this story, Arawn failed to let Dana know that if she and he have sex, she would lose her Fairiewalker abilities, and most likely be killed in the process. Nice guy! And, that's not all, he also puts a mark on her shoulder that indicates that she is under his protection. She activates the mark after using one of his gifts 3 times. It's a blue stag on her left shoulder. Of course, she claims she will 1- never ever, ever ever have sex..and 2. Never ever call him regardless of the situation she finds herself in.

Finally, Ethan gets his head from out of his butt, and takes full responsibility for his own actions. Oh course, he's still a heel in my opinion, and not a nice person.

My thoughts: I would rather see Dana with Keane and with Ethan. Ethan is a piggieboy sex addict, whereas Keane is more real and caring I guess you can say.

I found this relesae unusually unappealing to me. The storyline faulter so many times, I was hesitating to finishing this story. Dana is not a likeable character in any shape or form whatsoever. She's always despondent and makes seriously bad choices. Her parents aren't a bundle of joy either. This story had so much potential, but it fell into the teenaged angst, self pity mode which I dislike so much.

Hopefully, the next installment Sirensong (July 2011) is better or I'm done with this series....more

Shadowspell picks up right were Glimmerglass ends, and this time Jenna throws in another fantastic, hot plot twist with Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt. Let me just say, he takes bad to a whole new level. As in the kind of guy made of nightmeres, who enjoys a good chase and in the ends enjoys a good kill. I was as drawn to him as Dana was. I don't know if drawn is the right word as he makes Dana want to run away from him, but at the same time she's intrigued by him. He's someone you know isShadowspell picks up right were Glimmerglass ends, and this time Jenna throws in another fantastic, hot plot twist with Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt. Let me just say, he takes bad to a whole new level. As in the kind of guy made of nightmeres, who enjoys a good chase and in the ends enjoys a good kill. I was as drawn to him as Dana was. I don't know if drawn is the right word as he makes Dana want to run away from him, but at the same time she's intrigued by him. He's someone you know is bad, but at the same time he is protective of Dana (even if at times it's for his own desires), but still, there's something about him that makes me wonder if his bad boy ways are an act or if he's grown tired of the chase. I love that he's doesn't hide who he is and is upfront about it, but at the same time, and like all Fae, they're excellent at playing word games and Dana will need to figure out how to out smart a guy who's been around for thousands of years.

One of the many reasons why I love this series is because of Dana. She does not take no for answer nor does she take being bullied. I connect well with her protectiveness of those she loves and cares about. I mean she meets with the essence of evil, the Erlking in his house! Okay, there's more to the story than that, but no one in their right mind goes to his house. Dana knows how to think clearly in situations that she or someone she loves feels threatened in. That's not to say she doesn't have her teenage moments, but that's what makes her relatable.

I really like that all my favorite characters from Glimmerglass were back. I enjoyed seeing more of Dana's relationship with her parents. I liked that she finally releases the anger she's grown up with towards her mom by telling her exactly how she feels about her drinking problem. Her father is as protective as ever with her, that Finn and one other guard are to accompany Dana where ever she goes, that is when she's not grounded. I really liked Keane in Glimmerglass and I like him even more in Shadowspell. He turns up the heat with his self defense classes he teach Jenna.

There's no shortage of hot Fae guys in this story, and what I admire even more about Dana is that she's not falling at their feet. While she may at times give into teenage urges, but she's constantly trying to figure out what the guys' motives are for wanting to be with her. She doesn't see herself as beautiful as the rest of the full blooded Fae, and in saying that, it wouldn't surprise me if Ethan ends up being in love with her and because of what she can do. Oh Ethan... I really love his character and I like that his play boy reputation causes Dana to really think about their relationship. I'm one who thinks he can change and I think he proves that when he does something to protect Dana.

Aside from my love for the cover, I absolutely love this series. Jenna Black gives her fae series a more edgy feel, mixed with romance and action. Okay, there's a lot more romance in Shadowspell. Talk about turning the heat up in the Fae world! What makes this a fantastic sequel, is it's fast paced read and engaging plot twists. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series, Sirensong which will be out next summer. Shadowspell is one I would recommend for older YA fans, as there's some sexual content, a mild scene, and the attempted rape scene will not be suitable for all readers. ...more

Shadowspell picks up right were Glimmerglass ends, and this time Jenna throws in another fantastic, hot plot twist with Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt. Let me just say, he takes bad to a whole new level. As in the kind of guy made of nightmeres, who enjoys a good chase and in the ends enjoys a good kill. I was as drawn to him as Dana was. I don't know if drawn is the right word as he makes Dana want to run away from him, but at the same time she's intrigued by him. He's someone you know isShadowspell picks up right were Glimmerglass ends, and this time Jenna throws in another fantastic, hot plot twist with Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt. Let me just say, he takes bad to a whole new level. As in the kind of guy made of nightmeres, who enjoys a good chase and in the ends enjoys a good kill. I was as drawn to him as Dana was. I don't know if drawn is the right word as he makes Dana want to run away from him, but at the same time she's intrigued by him. He's someone you know is bad, but at the same time he is protective of Dana (even if at times it's for his own desires), but still, there's something about him that makes me wonder if his bad boy ways are an act or if he's grown tired of the chase. I love that he's doesn't hide who he is and is upfront about it, but at the same time, and like all Fae, they're excellent at playing word games and Dana will need to figure out how to out smart a guy who's been around for thousands of years.

One of the many reasons why I love this series is because of Dana. She does not take no for answer nor does she take being bullied. I connect well with her protectiveness of those she loves and cares about. I mean she meets with the essence of evil, the Erlking in his house! Okay, there's more to the story than that, but no one in their right mind goes to his house. Dana knows how to think clearly in situations that she or someone she loves feels threatened in. That's not to say she doesn't have her teenage moments, but that's what makes her relatable.

I really like that all my favorite characters from Glimmerglass were back. I enjoyed seeing more of Dana's relationship with her parents. I liked that she finally releases the anger she's grown up with towards her mom by telling her exactly how she feels about her drinking problem. Her father is as protective as ever with her, that Finn and one other guard are to accompany Dana where ever she goes, that is when she's not grounded. I really liked Keane in Glimmerglass and I like him even more in Shadowspell. He turns up the heat with his self defense classes he teaches Jenna.

There's no shortage of hot Fae guys in this story, and what I admire even more about Dana is that she's not falling at their feet. While she may at times give into teenage urges, she's constantly trying to figure out what the guys' motives are for wanting to be with her. She doesn't see herself as beautiful as the rest of the full blooded Fae, and in saying that, it wouldn't surprise me if Ethan ends up being in love with her and because of what she can do. Oh Ethan... I really love his character and I like that his play boy reputation causes Dana to really think about their relationship. I'm one who thinks he can change and I think he proves that when he does something to protect Dana.

Aside from my love for the cover, I absolutely love this series. Jenna Black gives her fae series a more edgy feel, mixed with romance and action. Okay, there's a lot more romance in Shadowspell. Talk about turning the heat up in the Fae world! What makes this a fantastic sequel, is it's a fast paced read with engaging plot twists. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series, Sirensong which will be out next summer. Shadowspell is one I would recommend for older YA fans, as there's some sexual content, a mild scene, and the attempted rape scene will not be suitable for all readers. ...more

I absolutely loved Glimmerglass, so when Shadowspell showed up on my doorstep I was practically shouting with glee! I liked the cover of the first book, but love the cover of this one. It is even better in person and now that I know what the stag represents I love the stag as well.

We pick up right where we left off with Dana. She has been moved to a pretty secure location underground, which is making her become a little stir crazy. Who wouldn't be though? Stuck underground all day with no windoI absolutely loved Glimmerglass, so when Shadowspell showed up on my doorstep I was practically shouting with glee! I liked the cover of the first book, but love the cover of this one. It is even better in person and now that I know what the stag represents I love the stag as well.

We pick up right where we left off with Dana. She has been moved to a pretty secure location underground, which is making her become a little stir crazy. Who wouldn't be though? Stuck underground all day with no windows and no visitors except bodyguards and your parents? I know I would go crazy! She is still getting her self defence lessons from Keane, who I have still not figured out all the way yet. I do like having his sarcastic remarks to cut the tension at times. For all his broodiness, the guy is funny, and truly is a nice guy. I know there is still more to meet the eye with this one and I can only hope we get to see more of him in upcoming books.

Speaking of the boys in Dana's life, for all of his faults, I still really like Ethan. I know, but I still think he really is good deep down and cares for Dana. I think if I were in her situation I would be having some of the same inner dialogue debates that she does. Ethan has a way of getting under your skin and staying there no matter how many times you try and kick him out. I am nervous for what kind of future the two of them can have together, but whatever it is I am rooting for Ethan.

We are introduced to a new character, The Erlking who is a big, hulking, kind of hot immortal, who has a constant craving to commit murder. I must say I really enjoyed this character, I think there are a lot of layers to him and I like the twist he adds to the story. A lot of the other relationships seem to change/and/or move forward here. Again, it’s almost hard to review "Shadowspell" because I don't want to give anything away. This is one of those books that flies by so quickly, you could reasonably read it in one sitting. I will say Dana gets herself into quite a bind that is certain to impact the future novels. I am very eager to read the next book.

Overall, this book is a fantastic second instalment to this intriguing series. I have loved watching Dana try and navigate her way though this strange world. That is one of the aspects I adore most about this series, Dana is seeing the world of Faerie through new eyes and therefore the reader is as well. It gives the story a unique perspective and keeps you guessing what is going to happen next right alongside Dana. Shadowspell has answered some of my questions, but opened a whole can of new ones. Therefore I am eagerly awaiting the next book, Sirensong!...more

After reading Glimmerglass, I was really looking forward to it's second installment. And though there were several little things that made me like Shadowspell less than the first book, it doesn't disappoint. The book starts with Dana on her not-date with Ethan to the movies. Ethan "forgets" the napkins and things get pretty awkward from there. The fact that she's still attracted to him after the unforgotten, politically driven, magic-induced kiss from the first book really frustrated me and I h After reading Glimmerglass, I was really looking forward to it's second installment. And though there were several little things that made me like Shadowspell less than the first book, it doesn't disappoint. The book starts with Dana on her not-date with Ethan to the movies. Ethan "forgets" the napkins and things get pretty awkward from there. The fact that she's still attracted to him after the unforgotten, politically driven, magic-induced kiss from the first book really frustrated me and I hated them together. Ethan was a sleaze and made Dana stupid. My positive opinion of her turned upside down with one line: "By the end of the movie, I was so turned on it was a minor miracle I hadn't started tearing my clothes off in public." . . . *Facepalm*. . . Dana, that was such a slutty line it made me want to choke a stuffed animal. She gets a little more hormonal in this book, and the witty dialogue that was once funny cranks up to the point it seems immature. Such a shame, because the plot really gets good in this book. We finally meet the Erlking, and he makes everything so much more fun! I was half-expecting his name to be Oberon, though. I mean, how can you have Mab and Titania without Oberon, but whatever, 'Arawn' is cool too. So anyways, he was just so in control, so the man. Charming without being sleazy. Confident without being cocky. He gets what he wants, when he wants, because he himself can get what he wants, when he wants. It's like everyone is a pawn is his game. He also makes things a bit difficult between Dana and Ethan with the whole 'I need your virginity' thing. What'd I say? Fun! But it was kind of a favor. The ultimate test to see what Dana really means to Ethan. Gosh, I hate him. Or I did before he changed and all. He's alright now, but it felt like Jenna Black had to change him in that traumatizing way because he wouldn't change because of Dana. But onto our other member of the love triangle--Keane! I love him! Dana's opinion on him aggravates me. Under all that sarcasm is a really great guy, and she knows it, but she still acts like he's as much--if not worse--of an a-hole as Ethan. He magically seduced you for politics! How is a bad-boy demeanor worse than that? -_- But someone who really caught my attention in this book is Connor. She has a brother :D I can't wait to find out more about him. So to practiclally sum up all that: The plot gets better. Dana gets annoying. But you have to see the plot through Dana's eyes, so you gotta deal with it. ...more

Jenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discoveryJenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.

Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.